In floodlands on Ile river, in Bakanas vicinity.

Two-days trip to Ile river floodland to picnic with friends. 18th of May was sunny before midday, but evening was cloudy and even overcast. 19th of May was sunless with the little rain in evening. Because the picnic was the main target of trip, birding was in background; but Gennady and I tried to pay attention to birds any time. During the Kapchagai road we saw Hobbies, Orioles, flock of Demoiselle Cranes, hoopoes etc. We made first stop near the ravine where are Rollers, Kestrels, Jackdaws and Little Owl nest. Owl was not found but other birds were not so significant to us. The next stop was near the single tree on the Malay-Sary pass. As usually the single tree is full of birds; we saw couple of Hobbies, three chicks of Carrion Crow in the nest, about ten Spotted Flycatcher, two Common Redstarts, Hume’s Warblers, Barred Warbler and probably some other birds.

During the long staying near Bura village we didn’t see a lot of birds, perhaps due to heat or off-season time. Twice we noticed Rufous Bush Robins, one Oriental Turtle Dove, some nests of Indian Sparrows, new nest of Long-legged Buzzard with chicks, and also Isabelline Wheatears, Turkestan Shrikes and Common Nightingale. Stone Curlew wasn’t found.

To the Asian Poplar grove, the final destination of our trip, we arrived in evening. In spite of cloudy weather and the low sun we go to birding. We saw Yellow-eyed Doves, Saxaul Sparrows, Turkestan Tits etc. At night we tried to attract Pallid Scops Owls to sound. Owls were very close; some of us noticed flying birds in the dark-grey sky background. But we didn’t take photos. At 5.30 am with a chorus of birds singing, Gennady and I go to searching new species of birds. New birds were not found, but during several hours walking in the grove we watched birds better that yesterday.

There are Yellow-eyed Doves both in Turanga (Asian Poplar) groves and open areas after the fire where they are better visible. Here I well recognize flying Yellow-eyed Doves which have pale mantle and dark rump unlike of Rock Doves. In other words Yellow-eyed Doves have pale cigar-shaped pattern on the back like Greenshank.

Turkestan Tit responds to the sound of Great Tit though the calls of these two Tits are some differing. Turkestan Tit call the similar sound but not same. Need to record its sounds next visit, because there are not city noise in this area.

Orioles were flying in the vicinity of our camp. One moment Gennady counted six one-time visible Orioles, perhaps they were more than six. Orioles all time were hearable and often visible. Once I saw Oriole ate large grasshopper, probably they feed by grasshoppers before migrating to north. Insects are a lot, perhaps therefore birds are a lot too. One more reason of birds abudance is tree holes, there are one or more holes in each poplar-tree. Jackdaws, Rollers, tens of Starlings, Saxaul Sparrows, Pied Wheatears nest in holes and feed by grasshoppers; Pallid Scops Owls and Hobbies more likely too.

In addition to hole-nesting birds there are little passerines in the bushes. Syke’s Warblers came to sound record, and Lesser Whitethroat was photographed in bush. These two species formed majority of little birds singing and hiding in bushes. Probably the numerous Cuckoos are parasitic on these two little birds. The significant record is Wood Pigeon in the poplar grove. Would it inhabit here? How it live together with Yellow-eyed Dove? Some times we saw White-winged Woodpeckers drumming on dry branches and trunks. Its short and rather easy drumming surprised me.

Close to evening we started to back road. Only one significant record of back road: Kingfisher on the bridge on Ile river.